Dear Mayor & Council:
The Kelowna South-Central Association of Neighbourhoods (KSAN) supports city staff’s report supporting the preservation by opposing the demolition of 2072 Abbott St. These few listed homes on the city’s register are vital to the identity and history of our city. We are fortunate to have built-in protection for them in the Heritage Conservation Areas bylaws requiring city council approval for demolishing them.
If council approves this application you are giving the green light to future purchasers. They will feel free to go ahead and buy in our beautiful lakeside Heritage Conservation Area so that they can tear down and build a modern home.
Council must stand firm and say that if a buyer wants to purchase a home of heritage value in this protected area, it is for preservation not destruction. If a person or company wants to build a new home, they need to purchase property outside the protected boundaries.
We have so little heritage architecture left in Kelowna. It must be guarded with care. KSAN would like to see this same protection extended to all registered heritage buildings outside the designated conservation areas. City Council: We ask you to do the right thing. Tell buyers they must follow the rules. Protect these gems in Kelowna’s crown.
Debby Helf, KSAN chair
Kelowna
